Has anybody ever successfully used any of the many websites offering background-check type information or a report for a fee? Without being too doxxy, a person in a friend’s life is bad news, many people including me know this, and I really want to know if this person has any arrests or criminal charges or restraining orders, etc. because unfortunately the person is now taking a more active and local role in my friend’s life.

I’ve exhausted free resources, including when I did a lot of research several years ago. And frankly, the person seems to have gotten into some of their own results and fucked them up so they’re wrong/misleading, like changing the age and similar. There are new aliases/name info listed as well that I didn’t come across when I did this research several years ago, and so I no longer want to be relying on just free information.

Most important factors, if anyone is able to provide any recommendations:

1. Privacy. I started to buy a report from Spokeo but it needed a credit card and I got nervous that the person would be able to learn that I bought the report.

2. Accuracy. Especially if I’m right that this person has successfully claimed listings and changed information already.

I guess that’s it? Or if there’s something else I should keep in mind, let me know.

The person I am searching is in no way related to any employment or anything else. No decisions will be made based on the info other than related to my own safety and mental well-being. (Based on the fine print when I went to buy the Spokeo report, I take it that can be relevant so I wanted to make sure it was clear this is not an employment or housing background check of any kind.)